Tickle Me Elmo is history. Beanie Babies still are hot. But if you really want to win the heart of a teen, scour the stores for a scarce-but-coveted Nano Baby.
Toys 'R' Us employees recommend that people call to see if there are any deliveries that day. One local ShopKo was sold out, but another just displayed a new supply Wednesday that was sure to disappear like Sno-Cones on a hot day.The egg-shape "virtual baby" is being snatched off the racks of local stores almost as fast as clerks can put them up. The Nano Baby, which one store sells at $14.99, features a tiny screen and programmable keys to make it grow from infancy to age 23. As the "parent," you must feed it by manipulating the images on the screen, change its diapers, play with it, correct bad behavior and make sure it gets enough sleep, among other things.
It beeps when it needs attention, but parents are urged to check their Nano Baby regularly, even when it is quiet.
As with all children, parents must stay in close contact. The Nano Baby comes with a convenient clip attachment so you can hook it onto a purse, backpack, key chain or belt loop to carry it with you at all times. It's not easy being parent to a Nano Baby. For example, as it gets older it wants to stay up later.
The lazy need not bother.
Neglect a Nano Baby and it will "die."
"I have been trying to get one of those for the past three weeks," said Katherine Ivory, 13, Salt Lake City. "When I went to camp, two girls had them and they're so neat. They are so intricate; they're just like a real baby.
"You have to change their diapers and feed them. I think it's a really good way for young kids to learn how to take care of babies. They're awesome," Katherine said. "My brother's wife just had a baby and I know how hard a baby is - you have to do everything. With Nano Babies, it's the same way. They're really cool."
Erica Franks, 12, Salt Lake City, doesn't have one yet but would be glad to welcome a Nano Baby into her life . "My friend has one and they're really fun to play with. It's not something that you will get tired of. I like the feeling of being responsible for something."
Liz Bogus, 13, Sandy, has learned a smart lesson as a parent. To get a well-deserved rest, she occasionally takes turns caring for her toy - a virtual baby from Japan, a Tamagotchi - with older sister, Heidi, 16. But the parental role offered by the virtual baby is one of the big attractions for Liz Bogus.
"It's cool because you have to give it attention or it won't be happy," Liz said. "At night, sometimes it will beep if it needs attention. And you have to discipline it."
Liz carries hers in her pocket, describing it as easy to program.
The Nano Baby is distributed by Playmates Toys of Costa Mesa, Calif., which also offers virtual kittens and puppies. Japan was the birth-place of the "virtual pet" fad that has spread quickly to the United States.
Actually, the Nano Baby is nearly identical to the Tamagotchi, the virtual baby that hit the market before the Nano Baby and also is highly popular with young consumers.
"I have only one or two Nano Babies left right now. They'll probably be gone by tonight, and who knows if we'll get any more in for a while," said Carol Diamse, manager of Trenz at Cottonwood Mall.
"We had Tamagotchis last week and they sold out. There are so many different kinds coming out and they (customers) snap them up as soon as they come in," Diamse said.
"I've sold them to mothers and dads and mostly to kids under 18. Even children as young as 5 want them," she said, adding the Giga brand items might be better for younger children because they're easier to program.